Session of the Sanhedrin. 45Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.^o 46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs.^p 48If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come^* and take away both our land and our nation.” 49^q But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year,^* said to them, “You know nothing, 50nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” 51He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.^* 53So from that day on they planned to kill him.^r

8I will encamp at my house,

a garrison against invaders;

No oppressor will overrun them again,

for now I have seen their affliction.

9Exult greatly, O daughter Zion!

Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!

Behold: your king^* is coming to you,

a just savior is he,

Humble, and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.^b

10He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,^c

and the horse from Jerusalem;

The warrior’s bow will be banished,

and he will proclaim peace to the nations.^d

His dominion will be from sea to sea,

and from the River^* to the ends of the earth.^e

11As for you, by the blood of your covenant,^{* f}

I have freed your prisoners from a waterless pit.

12Return to a fortress,^*

O prisoners of hope;

This very day, I announce

I am restoring double to you.

9Awake, awake, put on strength,

arm of the LORD!

Awake as in the days of old,

in ages long ago!

Was it not you who crushed Rahab,^*

you who pierced the dragon?^e

10Was it not you who dried up the sea,

the waters of the great deep,^*

You who made the depths of the sea into a way

for the redeemed to pass through?

11Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return

and enter Zion singing,

crowned with everlasting joy;

They will meet with joy and gladness,

sorrow and mourning will flee.

12I, it is I who comfort you.

Can you then fear mortals who die,

human beings who are just grass,

13And forget the LORD, your maker,

who stretched out the heavens

and laid the foundations of earth?

All the day you are in constant dread

of the fury of the oppressor

When he prepares himself to destroy;

but where is the oppressor’s fury?

14The captives shall soon be released;

they shall not die and go down into the pit,

nor shall they want for bread.

15For I am the LORD, your God,

who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;

the LORD of hosts by name.^f

16I have put my words into your mouth,

I covered you, shielded by my hand,

Stretching out the heavens,

laying the foundations of the earth,

saying to Zion: You are my people.

17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree,^m 18do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you.ⁿ 19Indeed you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe.^o 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, [perhaps] he will not spare you either.^p 22See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.^q 23And they also, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.^r 24For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated one, how much more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted back into their own olive tree.